


If your wings are broken, please take mine

by Aragorn_II_Elessar



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canonical Character Death, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, Post Episode: s06e22 Grave, Post-Season/Series 06, Post-Season/Series 06 Finale, Pre-Episode: s07e01 Lessons, Pre-Season/Series 07, Self-Harm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-13 04:55:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28772703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aragorn_II_Elessar/pseuds/Aragorn_II_Elessar
Summary: Dawn is in grief over Tara's death and Buffy has no idea how to comfort her. Takes place between Seasons 6 and 7.
Relationships: Buffy Summers & Dawn Summers, Willow Rosenberg & Dawn Summers
Comments: 7
Kudos: 4





	If your wings are broken, please take mine

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Buffyverse or anything else you may recognize
> 
> Decided to write this up because I was in the mood to write something sad. It is inspired by 2 videos on YouTube- 'Dawn and Tara: It won't be the same'(the only video about Dawn's and Tara's sweet little daughter/mother relationship on YouTube, why aren't there more?) and 'Buffy and Dawn: If your wings are broken, please take mine'.
> 
> The first one, if you cry as easily as I do, please don't watch it, I cry every time I even think of it, the second one, please do watch it, that one is a sweet and highlights the bond of the Summers sisters nicely.

Buffy had come back home after a night of patrolling, taking down a few Vamps at the cemetery. She usually did it alone nowadays, and she had a feeling it would be like that for quite a while.

Willow was in England now for rehabilitation with help from Giles and that coven who had given him powers. Xander was too busy in his work now most of the time so he rarely showed up.

Anya had also stopped being around them after her break-up with Xander, and she had returned to being a vengeance Demon, though Buffy hadn't heard anything too bad so far.

Tara was…..gone! And so was Spike after….she didn't want to think about it.

And Dawn, well she was-

Buffy was cut off when she heard a muffled sob coming from a nearby room, and she instantly recognized which room that was.

Buffy closed the door of the house and moved to the room, seeing the door was already open. It was dark, and Dawn was curled up in the corner, crying.

"Dawnie", Buffy said softly, her heart breaking on seeing her little sister, who was usually happy, smiling and energetic, like this.

"I don't want to leave her alone", Dawn whispered, looking at the spot where Tara's body had been lying all those months ago after that bastard Warren had shot her.

Last time Dawn had been like this was when mom had died, and Buffy couldn't blame her, could she? Willow and Tara were both like mothers to her as well. No, they were her mothers in all but name, they had been after mom had died.

Buffy walked to her, kneeling close to her as she hugged Dawn, kissing her forehead as Dawn sobbed into her shoulder. "Hey, I'm here, all right, it will be fine."

"No!" Dawn snapped, pulling away. "It won't be the same. It won't be the same now, it can't be!"

She started walking off as Buffy called out. "Hey-"

But she was already gone, as Buffy had tears in her own eyes as she remembered Tara's kindness and how she'd been there for her in her time of need.

* * *

Next day

Buffy was reading a book in her room when she heard some commotion in the kitchen and ran quickly to see Dawn throwing stuff around, a knife in her hand.

"DAWN!" Buffy screamed as Dawn was about to slice her hand but Buffy grabbed her knife hand, taking the knife away as she threw it off. "What were you doing?"

"Everyone leaves me!" Dawn cried, falling to her knees. "They just…go! I am alone!"

"I'm not leaving you, okay?" Buffy said as she kneeled to Dawn, wiping her tears and kissing her forehead. "I'll always be here for you, you know that, right?"

"I know", Dawn whispered brokenly, and Buffy let her sob into her shoulder. She wanted to help, but even she was clueless now, now what could she do?

* * *

Few hours later

Dawn was lying in her room, just looking at the wall, when Buffy walked in, holding the cordless. "It's for you."

Dawn took it from her without a word. "Hello?"

" _Dawnie."_

"Willow?" Dawn said in surprise, not having heard her voice in months. "Ho-How are you?"

" _Better than before"_ , Willow said. " _I heard about what happened earlier."_

"I'm sorry", Dawn whispered. "It's just…"

" _You don't need to apologize to anyone for this, I mean, I tried to destroy the world for the same thing",_ Willow said with dry humor, though Dawn wasn't really humored. " _I miss her too, more than I can say."_

"I know", Dawn muttered, crying already. "She was….she was everything I wanted, and I never told her. I couldn't appreciate it."

" _I couldn't either, I took her for granted for a long time, and when I finally learnt to appreciate her more, she was….."_ Willow trailed off and Dawn could detect the lump in her voice.

"Will she ever forgive me?" Dawn asked, putting her hand over her mouth.

" _If there is one person who would never give up on you, it's her, she will never stop loving you, you know that, right?"_ Willow asked.

"I know", Dawn whispered between sobs.

" _So please, don't do this to yourself, she wouldn't want you to, she would want you to be safe and know that you are loved by everyone else around you too. I love you Dawnie."_

"I love you too, Willow", Dawn cried. "I miss you."

" _I miss you too, we'll see each other soon, I promise."_

"Oh-okay", Dawn nodded, the call finally being cut as she put it down while Buffy watched, teary eyed.

"I am sorry", Dawn said to her.

"Hey, you have nothing to be sorry for", Buffy assured as she sat by her little sister, gently stroking her hair. "Tara was the best of us, and she didn't deserve this. I wasn't there for you when you needed me, I am sorry."

"Will it get better?" Dawn asked her.

"Maybe one day it will", Buffy said. "Then you can have wings and flutter."

"My wings are broken", Dawn said, crying again.

"Well, if your wings are broken, you can always take mine, okay?" Buffy asked, wiping her tears as Dawn nodded, and the two sisters hugged, comforting each other over the loss of someone close to them, who was both a friend and a mother.

**Author's Note:**

> Well, and now that's done, I cried while writing this, mostly because the Dawn/Tara video flashed in my mind.
> 
> Honestly, I was pissed that other than Willow's, we were never given anyone else's proper reaction to Tara dying, other than Dawn, and even that was briefly touched upon. I am still upset after all these years, and I'm not even part of the show!
> 
> We should have gotten Spike's reaction IMO, since Tara treated him much better than the other Scoobies did.
> 
> Hey! Let's pretend this happened in the same Universe as the 'Heroes' series. If you don't know about it, it's a multifandom crossover series I've written in which Tara was resurrected, and reunited with Willow, and also with Dawn. That way, this has a happy ending!
> 
> Anyway, hope everyone enjoyed and see you all next time with some other update. Stay safe from the coronavirus ya all!


End file.
